Conference signs deal with Host

The Division I-AA Gateway Football Conference, in an attempt to increase
conference revenue, has agreed to a deal with Host Communications Inc. to market
its syndicated football package.

Under terms of the partnership, Host will develop a marketing package and sell
ads for the conference's football programming, five games that air regionally.

Both parties will receive a percentage of profits, said Mike Kern, assistant
commissioner of the conference.

Host's work will be the conference's first step toward trying to make money off
its football product, Kern said. In the past, instead of trying to maximize revenue
through ad sales, the conference has primarily used in-house ads of the conference
and its member institutions, he said. The conference's sponsors, State Farm Insurance
and the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission, have had some television presence.

Conference officials hope Host will be able to expand its ad inventory, bring
in enough money to offset the cost of producing the television package and perhaps
even bring in a little extra revenue, Kern said.

The conference pays for its television production through annual stipends of
more than $100,000 from the Bowl Championship Series. Kern said, however, that
the money is only guaranteed to the conference for two more years.